Why We Use the Secret Ballot?

By | August 19, 2012

When it comes to voting, privacy is the utmost concern. Voting booths are designed to keep other voters from seeing you cast your ballot, whether the election is on a national or local scale. Why is voter privacy such a big deal?

The Secret Ballot

The way we vote is what’s called the ‘secret ballot.’ It sounds like some grand conspiracy but it’s actually something simpler and more mundane. It means voting in secret so that nobody can see how you voted. Also called the Australian ballot because it originated in Australia, it’s different from the open ballot, where votes are public.

The whole idea behind the curtains and screens is to keep the voter anonymous. It’s the same reason you don’t sign your name to your ballot. When the vote is anonymous, it ensures that you vote for the candidate you want, and you aren’t swayed by the opinions of others.

When the vote’s anonymous, there are no consequences. If you vote for a candidate your peers or superiors don’t like, they’ll never know it. This gives you freedom. It also protects you from intimidation and bribery.

How We Keep It Secret

In a secret ballot, you’re given a card with selections on it. You place an X or check mark by the candidate of your choice. This is better than writing in the name because handwriting can be traced back to you.

At polling places, the staff people are strict about what you do with your ballot in order to prevent fraud. They won’t let you leave with it or share it with others. This ensures that one person gets one vote to keep it fair.

Paper ballots are usually used because they’re easy to recount. If there’s a problem, all you need to do is open the ballot box and count the cards, tallying votes for each candidate.

Secret Ballot Voting Booth Options

To set up a polling place for secret ballot voting isn’t difficult at all. You don’t need complex voting machines or curtained voting booths. Election equipment companies sell cardboard voting booths that are light and inexpensive. They’re made of corrugated cardboard and they’re easy to assemble, tear down, and move.

Cardboard voting booths have a flat surface at a suitable height for writing ballots which is protected by a screen on three sides. This ensures that no one else can see you cast your vote. Ballots are then slipped through a slot that leads into the ballot box. You can see images of cardboard voting booths here.

The secret ballot is important because it gives voters the freedom to vote for their true choice. It’s an important element of any democratic system.